BBC massive Olympic cover

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The BBC is planning is most extensive Olympic coverage ever, scheduling 250 hours of coverage of the Athens Games, plus over 1,000 hours via the first ever interactive Summer Olympics TV service offering a complementary schedule. Viewers with digital satellite TV can access four additional streams to see extended coverage of the 37 events. Freeview users will be able to access two additional events.

Announcing the corporation's initiatives, newly-appointed Director General Mark Thompson described sport as "the lifeblood of the BBC," adding that televising such events was "the BBC at its purest."

In addition, at bbc.co.uk/olympics, for the first time ever, UK broadband users can access high-quality live coverage of the Olympics direct to their desktop. The service includes live simulcast coverage from BBC TV's five streams, as well as comprehensive daily round-ups. For people on the move, bbc.co.uk will provide an Olympics update service to WAP-enabled mobile telephones, plus a highlights service for mobiles that can receive it.

Andrew Thompson, Head of Development, New Media and Sports News, BBC Sport, "This is the first ever interactive Summer Olympics. Our broadband service
complements our interactive TV offering – allowing us to offer a variety of platforms for licence-fee payers to access the world's greatest sporting event. Broadband take-up is growing rapidly in the UK and I am delighted we are able to offer such a comprehensive service."